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jull-tem3

Edit 0 10 …

WHAT'S IN MY WATER?



2011,_tap_water.jpeg2011,_filtered_water.jpeg2011,_distilled_water.jpeg


http://cltampa.com/dailyloaf/archives/2011/07/13/the-dangers-of-chlorine-in-tap-water__
http://juanused1cup.wordpress.com/2011/03/23/day-3/__
http://withfriendship.com/user/svaruna/distilled-water.php__

Broad Question: What type of water will have the most lead in it?


Specific Question:Will tap water have the most lead in it compared to filtered water and/or distilled water?


Variables:

Independent Variable: Water Type

Dependent Variable: Lead (ppb)


Variables That Need To Be Controlled:

1. Same water testing kit
2. Same testing time
3. Same testing cup

Hypothesis: I hypothesize that tap water will have the most lead in it compared to filtered water and/or distilled water.


Graph of Hypothesis:

8th_Grade-Hypothesis_Graph.JPG


Experimental Design:

For this year’s science fair, I am conducting an experiment that will test to see which type of water has the most amount of lead in it. It doesn’t really matter where this experiment takes places, as long as I have the three types of water I need; which I have at home. In this case, I will conduct my experiment at home. I am going to be the one recording all the information I need, such as the amount of lead I find in each water type. I will also be using the water kit by myself when testing the water types. If there is a point in my experiment where I need help, either my mother or father would surely be there. If they were to help me, I would be directing the experiment.
Three water types are going to be tested; tap water, distilled water, and filtered water. I am going to test each water type, with the water testing kit, five times each. This way I can average the amount of lead and see which type has the most lead. Once I find the amount of lead in one water type, I will have a spreadsheet nearby to record the data in. Then I will bring that spreadsheet to school and copy the data right into a spreadsheet on the computer. I am going to document this experiment by taking pictures throughout, uploading them to the computer. Then I can print them out to put onto my poster board/display board and/or my Wiki Page.

Materials List:

  1. Water Testing Kit
  2. Spreadsheet (printed out off of the computer)
  3. Pencil
  4. Clipboard (if necessary)
  5. Tap Water
  6. Distilled Water
  7. Filtered Water
  8. Testing Cup (three of the same cup)
  9. Camera
  10. A parent (if help is needed)

Detailed Procedure:

  1. Gather all of materials from the materials list.
  2. Put everything on dining room table, which will/should be cleared.
  3. Pour a glass of tap water, from the faucet, into a testing cup.
  4. Test the tap water with the water testing kit.
  5. Take pictures.
  6. Record data (amount of lead) into spreadsheet.
  7. Repeat steps 1-6 four more times.
  8. Pour glass of distilled water.
  9. Test the distilled water with the testing kit.
  10. Take Pictures
  11. Record date (amount of lead) into spreadsheet.
  12. Repeat steps 8-11 four more times.
  13. Pour a glass of filtered water.
  14. Test the filtered water with water testing kit.
  15. Take pictures.
  16. Record data (amount of lead) into spreadsheet.
  17. Repeat steps 13-16 four more times.
  18. Clean up everything in the experiment so the dining room table is clean.


Background Research:



*Lead is soft gray metal that is tasteless and odorless.

*If lead is ingested it could cause serious internal damage overtime. (impaired kidneys, nervous system, and/or red blood cells)

*Lead gets into drinking water through lead containing pipes.

*Solder, brass and, chrome plated faucets also could contain lead.

*Older houses have more problems with lead in drinking water because of lead pipes throughout the household.

* Homes with lead service pipes also have more of a problem with lead in their drinking water.

*Lead only gets into water by/through old pipes.
*Water sitting in pipes is more likely to have lead in it compared to lead just coming through pipes.
*The only way to tell if lead had water in it is to test it with a water testing kit.
*It doesn’t matter what your body size is, it all depends on how much water you drink in order for lead to effect you.
*Lead is sometimes measured in parts per million, or ppm.
*The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that you should find a professional if your ‘’action level’’ is higher then 15 ppm.


*Babies and young children are more likely to have health problems with lead then teenagers and adults.

*Lead not only can be found in water, but also on household items such as jewelery.

*Lead is a highly toxic metal.

*For many years lead was commonly used to create household items and plumbing pipes.


*People and scientists say that pipes are not safe enough.

*Lead created to use pipes, but the pipes don’t keep everything out.

*Places that have spills, oil or chemical, don’t have that much protection.

*Oil and chemicals once their on the ground then seep into the pipes which get into the water stream and then can cause much damage.

*Lead can have same effects on the body as oil or chemicals. Damages can include damage to liver or kidneys, and overtime cancer comes into play.


*Lead in most commonly found in paint chips and dust.

*Lead is in all commonly used in all household plumbing.

*Childrens physical and mental development are two things that could have effects on them because there is lead in drinking water.

*Lead is mostly found in tap water, because of pipes.

*All pipes have lead in them, even if they are “lead-free”, the EPA says there still is 8% lead in them.



*When you take in lead it builds up in your body until there is enough to create a problem in your body.
*There is also lead in bottled water, but not as much as the lead in water pipes.
*Homes built before 1986 seem to be having to most problems with lead in water/pipes.
*Lead can dissolve into your water, so you won’t even know its there.

References:

"Get Ahead of Lead! Get lead out of Drinking Water." Department of Health . N.p., Jan. 2009. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. <http://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2508/>.

"Lead." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. N.p., 2010. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/water.htm>.

"Lead in Drinking Water." EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency. N.p., 4 Oct. 2011. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. <http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/lead/index.cfm>.

Owens, Peter. Oil and Chemical Spills. Farmington Hills, MI: Lucent Books, 2004. Print.

Ring, Mr. Steve. "Lead in the Household." Lead Inspector. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. <http://www.leadinspector.com/science_project.html>.

Whyte, David B. "Get Lead Out: Explore the Effects of pH on Lead Testing." Science Buddies. N.p., 17 Aug. 2010. Web. 1 Jan. 2012. <http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Chem_p080.shtml>.


Results:


The purpose of this experiment was to find out which water type contained the most amount of lead in it. The lead testing strips were used to figure out the amount of lead in each of the water types. To use these strips there had to be one strip and a 20 ml sample of water (it was tested the same way with each water type). Then the strip had to be placed into the water for a full thirty seconds. Once the thirty seconds were up the strip had to come out of the water and placed on the table for two minutes. Once the two minutes were up the strip color had to be matched to the colors on the strip container. The results of this experiment were that the tap water contained the most lead. The average amount of lead was 170 parts per billion (ppb). Distilled water had the next highest average at 12 ppb. Filtered water had the least lead with an average amount of 10 ppb.

Data Table:




Graphs:

ahs.JPG




Photos:

100_1434.JPGJuju_9.jpgJuju_6.jpgJuju14.jpgJuju_10.jpgJuju_7.jpg
Data Analysis:

Conclusion:


My hypothesis was that tap water would have the highest average amount of lead in it. My results did support my hypothesis. Some patterns and trends that my data showed was that filtered water stayed consistent with its results; each time I put a lead testing strip into the water it always came back with a result of 10 ppb (parts per billion). This happened on five out of the five times I tested the water. The relationship between the independent (water types) and dependent variable (lead ppb) was strong. The worst place the water could come from (pipes) had the most lead in the water, the tap water.

I think the tests I did went very smoothly because I made sure I had everything I needed before I started performing the tests. I also had a routine that made the tests very easy to perform. I would put the strip into the water, holding it for 30 seconds. The I took it out and let it dry. While letting it dry I poured the just tested water out and refilled the cup. If I could improve the experiment I might try to test the different water types more than five times each. An interesting future study might involve researching lead in pipes. The experiment might be to see whether hot or cold water has more lead in it.

Discussion: